They Both Know
by RoyalKnightJester
Summary: He could tell you anything you wanted to know about her. She could tell you anything you wanted to know about him. He knows everything about her, even things no one else knows. She knows everything about him, even things no one else knows. It would seem like Link and Zelda know everything there is to know, except the fact they're both hiding one very similar secret. One-shot.


**Hello friends and readers! This is a one-shot I randomly came up with at 1:30 in the morning. Out of literally nowhere. So, I started writing then couldn't stop until now. 3:41 am. Yay for summer time!**

**Disclaimer: I don't have a clever one this time, so I just don't own it.**

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_He could tell you anything you wanted to know about her._

He could tell you the basics: That she had long blonde hair that curled at the ends and blue eyes surrounded by flawless, fair skin. That her mother had passed away in the birth of her parent's second child, who also didn't make it. That she was raised by her father, who was a caring man, but did not pay any real attention. He could tell you that she could almost always be found in the garden or in the library. That she has a kind heart and only wanted others to be happy. That she was constantly putting others before herself.

_She could tell you anything you wanted to know about him._

She knew the basics by heart: His blonde hair was never combed and always fell in front of his blue eyes. Both of his parents had died from unknown causes, leaving him in the care of his uncle. He was an only child, but acted as if his younger cousin was his real sister. His uncle cared for him greatly, but had a tough time showing it. He was always out and about, never being easy to find unless he was hiding up in his favorite tree. He was clever and loving, always making everyone around him smile. He was constantly bringing out the best in others.

_He could remember everything._

He could tell you stories from her past. Like how when she was five, she threw a fit over the dress she had to wear for a ball. Unlike most five year olds, she hated the color pink with a passion, so in the middle of the party, she tore it off and ran around the room in her undergarments. Or how when she was seven, she found him skipping stones at the nearby lake. She tried to have him teach her how, but ended up throwing a rock right at the passing boat, earning a harsh yell from the fisherman. When she was thirteen and she woke up to find her first pimple and the terror that came from that. Or when she was sixteen and met her first suitor, a stuffy lord who had greasy hair and a large nose. He tried to kiss her and if she hadn't "accidentally" stepped on his toes, he would have succeeded.

_She could remember everything._

She could recall every story from when he was younger. Like how when he was only six, he climbed to the top of the guard tower and caused many men to believe there was an intruder. Or how at the age of ten he challenged the captain of the army to a duel, and shockingly disarmed the older man within minutes. The captain claimed he had let the young boy win but later confessed that was not true as he turned 18. Or when he was fourteen, he stole a loaf of bread from the kitchen. A young maid had caught him and threatened to report him in, but he convinced her not to, spinning a tale of how he had given his lunch to an old man on the street who didn't have a penny to his name. She promised to not tell a soul he had stole the bread as long as he gave her a kiss. He had he close her eyes and count to ten and when she opened them, he was gone, bread and all.

_He knows all the things she likes._

He spent too much time trying to figure them all out to not remember: Most of the time, flowers were a no, unless they were daisies. They were the kind her mother would put in her hair as a child, and the only kind she like to this day. Her favorite color made no sense to him. When she said it was a blue, he thought of a soft shade, but she explained she preferred an icier shade, something more piercing than baby blue. Unlike most young women, she enjoyed the rain. Not only did she enjoy it, she embraced it, often going out for a walk while it was pouring. He asked her about it once and she just shrugged and simply stated that it calmed her. She liked winter, but found autumn to be the best time of year. She loved the sound of crunching leaves and the crisp, but not yet cool air. Spring was too bleak and muggy, while summer was okay, but she often complained about the heat. Reading was one of her favorite things to do and could stay with her nose in a book all day if no one stopped her. Music often gave her headaches, unless it was soft and quiet, unlike the bouncy music they play at balls. Her favorite instrument was the guitar and she found the soft plucking of the strings soothing.

_She knows all the things he likes._

She spent too much time around him not to catch up. He had a soft spot for animals, particularly dogs. Whenever he would come across one in the castle, he would drop to his knees and pet it until it's owner literally had to tear them apart. It was easy to spot his favorite color because most of the time when he was younger he would wear green tunics. Eventually he learned to branch out, but anyone could tell her preferred green. Unlike most young men, he didn't mind spending time with his cousin. In fact, he would go out of his way to stop by and say hello. He clearly adored her and would give her everything if he could. He liked autumn, but his favorite time of year was summer. He would spend every minute he could outside, enjoying the hot air well into the evening. He couldn't stand the humidity of spring, but winter was also too cold for him. Writing was one of his favorite things to do and countless notebooks were stashed in his room, every page filled with his thoughts and tales. She was rarely allowed to read any of it, but she knew he was talented from what she had seen. He also enjoyed playing the guitar, the old acoustic he had found in his uncle's cellar. He taught himself how to play it and found comfort in it's worn neck and strings.

_He could tell you all the details of her body._

He had memorized every single one of them. Like how her eyes were a soft blue, but had specks of gold thrown throughout. Or how her face was perfectly clear besides for the small patch of light freckles that could be found if you look closely on her nose. That she had a small scar on her left forearm from where she fell off her horse when she was younger. That her middle finger on her right hand constantly had a hang-nail, no matter how many years had passed. That her pinky toe was awkward looking and how much she was embarrassed by the small mishap. That she had a heart shaped birth mark on her left shoulder that was almost always covered by her dresses, but could be seen when she wore a certain dress or two. Or how when she wore the color blue, her eyes seemed to become even clearer, making the risk of falling into them even deeper. Like how she would always have her bangs sweep toward the right because she had scar from a burn on her forehead from a kitchen accident years ago. That when she smiled, a genuine smile, she would suddenly have dimples. They were small and faint, but still there. That she came up exactly to the base of his neck. Like how she could only raise her left eyebrow and looked ridiculous when she tried to raise the right.

_She could tell you all the details of his body._

He had been around her too long for her to not have them know by heart. Like how his eyes were an icy blue that could pierce through anything, or anyone, that he came in contact with. He had lost all his baby fat from his face, and looked like a man by all means, but his childhood mischief could still be found in his eyes if you looked hard enough. That he had a thin scar just above his right eyebrow from a training battle when he was eleven. That he had another scar under his chin that happened when he fell off his roof at the age of eight. That he had over 53 scars all over his body, including a large one on his chest from where he got struck by a sword in battle during the war at the age of nineteen. That his pointer and ring finger were exactly the same length and how his middle fingers were bent. That he had no birthmarks anywhere at all. That even though green was very becoming on him, when he wore blue, his eyes could never be matched. There was an intensity they held that no one could ever compete with. That when he smiled, it tended to be a smirk. And that he would usually lift the left side of his mouth more than the right, giving him that loop-sided smile. That he was a head taller than her. Like how he could cross his eyes, but the right eye more so than the left.

_He could explain all her habits._

She had so many, they were hard to ignore. Like when she was frustrated, her lips would press together and her forehead would cave in, as if she was deep in thought. That when she bit her lip, she was either embarrassed or unsure of what to say. That when he suggested a stupid idea, she look tilt her head down and look up at him with her eyes, as if challenging him to say it again. Or when she was angry, she would lose all expression on her face and suddenly become detached from everything and anything, but never once raise her voice. Same thing when she was sad, she would never cry in front of anyone if she could help it because she did not want to bother them with her burden. But when she did cry, she would clutch her arms to her chest and silently spill her tears, never once making a sound besides for ragged breathing. Like when she was uncomfortable in a situation, she would call for a glass of water and sip it slowly, trying to make it last the entire time as if it were a game. That she would tap her foot on the ground when she was impatient or thinking hard. Or how she would place her hands on her lap and smile smugly after she won an argument. Or how she would tuck her hair behind her ear and quickly change the subject after she lost one.

_She could explain all his habits._

He didn't notice, but she sure did. Like when he was annoyed, he would clench his jaw together and raise his eyebrows in a challenging manner. That when he bit the inside of his cheek, he was nervous or didn't know what to do. That he would just smirk and roll his eyes whenever she offered a silly suggestion, as if mocking her for being so naive. That how when he was angry, he would turn his hands into fist, but leave them at his sides, never threatening to use them. How when he was sad, he would become quiet and dazed, suddenly unable to make eye contact. She had only seen him cry once, and she knew that killed him. He didn't want anyone one, including her, to see him in such a vulnerable state. When he felt awkward, he would look around a lot and bounce his knees quickly. He would tap his fingers on his knees or table when he was waiting for something and when he thought hard, he would bury his face in his hands. He would run his right hand through his hair when he was nervous and his left hand through his hair when it was a carefree gesture. He would just sigh in defeat when he lost an argument and smirk and wink whenever he won.

_He knows everything about her, even things no one else knows._

Like how she desperately wanted a younger sibling. That when she's missing her mom, she sits on the throne that her mother used to sit on and just think. That she loves her father dearly, but wants him to open his eyes and see that she is growing up and isn't a little girl anymore. Like how she wishes she could run away sometimes, go somewhere where no one knows her name and just start a new life. That she does want children, but no more than four and no less than two. She doesn't want an only child because she knows how lonely it can be. That she thinks the idea of true love is charming, but doesn't think it will happen to her at all. She says her father will pick her husband, even if she found her true love in another man. Or how she hates parties. She hates dancing with strangers and hates getting dressed up. She claims dancing with him is fine, but he knows she's only saying that. That she likes to be alone sometimes, to not be bothered by maids or have to focus on the stress of the castle. That she has nightmares, and often wakes up in the middle of the night, crying. That he was her first, and only to this day, kiss. That she's in love now, but won't tell him with whom.

_She knows everything about him, even things no one else knows._

That he is desperate to know how his parents died and what they were like. That when he's thinking about them, he climbs to the top of his roof and just stares at the sky, lost in thought. That his uncle is like a father to him, but he wishes his uncle would be more open with him. Like how he wants to visit the town where he was born and see if anyone would tell him he looks exactly like his mom or dad. That he would love to have a family, but only if he's sure nothing would happen to him or the mom. He doesn't want a child to go through what he had to. That he believes in fate and destiny, but also thinks you can change it if you really want to. He often uses the girl falling in love with a boy she can't have because of titles, but overcomes it and the two marry as an example. That he is fine with being alone, and sometimes prefers it because it allows him to wander in his own thoughts. That he has nightmares every night because of the war so he rarely gets more than a few hours of sleep a night. That she was his first, and only to this day, kiss. That he claims to be in love now, but won't say with whom.

_He could tell you anything about her. He knows everything about her, so he thought he would know what her answer would be._

"Link, what do you need? I have things to do today," The princess sighed, "I told you we could spend some time together tomorrow."

Link shrugged, pulling her along with his hand. He felt her stop resisting and grinned to himself, she was too easy to convince. She would do anything to get away from work during the fall. They continued to walk in silence and he thought about how soft and warm her hands were. They had never held hands for more than a few seconds, but since he was pulling her, he finally got to enjoy the fact.

He lead her out of the castle, nodding to the guards they passed. She eventually dropped his hand and he only had a moment to be disappointed before she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow. Link heard Zelda start humming quietly, a tune he didn't recognize. He looked at her from the corner of his eyes and saw her smiling slightly to herself as she hummed, allowing her eyes to wander around at the multicolored trees. He felt his chest get tight at the sight of her, she looked so at peace at that moment. He wished he could pause time and let her live in this moment forever because he knew she would love every second of it.

Then they came up the spot he had in mind. It was a very large and seemingly ancient oak tree, which was covered in leaves even though it seemed like most of them had fallen to their feet. She raised her eyebrow and bit her lip, signaling him that she wasn't sure what was going on. Link's breath caught in his throat, he was suddenly nervous. He began to look around, at anything but Zelda, in an attempt to come up with words. She grabbed his chin though and forced him to look into her eyes, "Stop doing that. You're nervous...Why?"

Link blinked slowly, "I just have something to say and I'm not sure how."

Zelda just laughed easily, "Oh, just say it. It's the simplest way, unless you plan to act it out."

"I don't know, I do play a pretty wicked game of charades."

"You're avoiding the topic at hand, Link."

Link sighed, knowing he had lost of the battle of changing topics. Zelda smiled smugly at him, but then dropped the smile and said quietly, "Really, what is it?

Link tried to think of words to say, but none came to mind. He just stared into Zelda's eyes, finding the gold specks quickly and getting lost in their depths. He thought of how he should have boughten daisies because they were her favorite or how he shouldn't have worn blue since she likes blue more than green. He should have done this when it was raining or later into autumn. He looked at her face, smiling at the small patch of freckles she had. He noticed a strand of hair had fallen in front of her eyes and before he could stop himself, he reached toward her and tucked it behind her ear. Her breathing seemed to stopped at that moment and she just looked at him with wide eyes.

And at that moment, there was no going back. He cupped her face in his hands, and brought his lips against hers.

It was noting like their first kiss back when they were seventeen. They were clumsy and unsure of what to do then. For some reason, only four years later, they both seemed to know exactly what they were doing. Zelda tasted like vanilla, Link noted and added that to the list of everything he knew. She kissed him back, with a passion that equalled his own. They could have been there for seconds, but then again it could have been years. Link didn't want this moment to end but he knew it had to so he could explain himself. He reluctantly tore his lips away from hers.

Zelda didn't meet his eye afterwards, just stared hard at the ground. That was okay though, Link couldn't afford getting caught up in her eyes again.

"Zelda, I have known you for as long as I can remember. You have been in my life since my life began and in that time, I have learned so much. So much about you and so much about myself. Honestly, I could fill a book with everything I know. But I'm not going to stand here and explain all of that to you, because I could sum it up pretty damn fast. And here it goes...I love you, Zelda. I have for as long as I can remember. You're all I think about, all I want, and all I need. I love everything you are and everything you do. I love how you're kind to everyone, how you stepped on that greasy haired loser's foot, that you love autumn because of the leaves, how silly you look when you try to raise your right eyebrow, how you play the water sipping game when you feel uncomfortable, and how you want two to four kids. I love every single thing about you. I just...I just really, truly love you. And I want to be with you. Forever."

She was still looking at the ground as she was biting her lip and furrowing her eyebrows. She was thinking hard, he decided. Link grabbed Zelda's hand and slipped a ring into it. He whispered the next part, "So...Will you marry me, Zelda?"

_She could tell you anything about him. She knows everything about him, so she thought he would know what her answer would be._

Zelda finally looked up at him, searching his face. He had a small smile, not his usual smirk. He looked so sincere at that moment that it broke her heart even more. He was really expecting her to say yes...

But she couldn't. Didn't he know that? She had to marry a prince, someone who knew how to rule. Not just a boy she had grown up with, who lived in the castle out of pure chance. Link wouldn't be able to be the king of Hyrule, he would have no idea how to do so. He would be engulfed by the stress of it all, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. He could barely stand listening to her explain the busy days, she couldn't imagine him having to actually live through them. Him having to be a part of them.

Oh, but how she wanted to say yes. To not have a care in the world and just kiss him a million times over again. To get to listen to play guitar at night, then fall sleep in his arms just to wake up to his face the next morning. She wanted nothing more than that. They could get him a dog, she could trace every scar he had, she could be there when he woke up from nightmares and sooth him back to sleep. She could learn more about him, how his body moves, how great he is with kids, how happy he could make her.

She loved him. She loved him with every ounce of her being, but she couldn't be with him. It didn't matter that he loved his cousin more than himself, that he out fought the captain at age ten, that he loved summer, that his eyes could make her feel ice cold but burn her at the same time, that he would wink whenever he won, that he believe in fate, or even that he loved her back. None of it mattered. None of it would ever matter to anyone but her. She had to do what was best for Hyrule. She had to put her kingdom before her happiness. And she knew that from the start. She thought Link knew that too.

The silence had streched out, but Link still had that smile. She wished he would stop smiling so it would be easier for her to do what she had to do.

"No."

One word. Just one simple word and the world Zelda had always known was torn apart. She could feel it.

Link licked his lips, his eyes confused and dazed, "W-what?"

Zelda wanted to cry. She wanted to have him gather her up in her arms and hold her tight. She didn't want to have to keep a straight face and tell Link, "No. I will not marry you, Link."

The look on his face crushed Zelda. It was the saddest thing she had ever seen in her life. Link looked lost. Link, the great solider without a care in the world who was always so sure, looked like he was lost. With no where to go. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He let out a ragged breath before asking, "But I thought you said you were in love...Isn't it with m-?"

"No," Zelda lied, holding back the tears, "It's not..." She said quietly.

Link suddenly stood up straight, casting his eyes above Zelda's head. She wanted nothing more than to embrace him, to tell him she's lying, to kiss him and confess her love, but she couldn't. Not now. Not anymore.

"I'm so sorry, Link..." She whispered, reaching out to him.

He stiffened and backed away. Zelda looked into his eyes but only found cold hardness there. He nodded curtly at her, "I understand. I have to go. Have a good day, your highness." He bowed, something Link had never done before along with referring to Zelda by her title, before turning on his heels and swiftly walking away.

Walking away from the tree. Walking away from Zelda. Walking away from whatever messed up love they had. Walking away from Zelda's life completely.

Zelda just stared at the ground, not noticing the tears that were streaming down her face. She wanted to go to her bed, to curl up there and just cry until no more tears would come out.

She had just messed everything up. Her and Link would never be the same. He would never talk to her again. She would never talk to him again. When they would pass each other, it would be awkward and difficult. She knew he would never get over it because she knew she would never get over it. She would never fall in love again, love was a once in a lifetime thing, and she just gave it up. She just ruined her, and his, one shot for pure happiness. Link would never forgive her. Zelda would never forgive her either. It was over. Done.

_Link had known everything about Zelda. Except for the fact that she was in love with him._

_Zelda had known everything about Link. Now including the fact that she had single-handedly broken his heart._

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**So, what did you guys think? If there were any grammar or spelling errors, sorry. I wrote this all at 2 in the morning, and edited it at 3:30. So I'm a wee bit tired.**

**I'm not really used to writing things that aren't happy and sappy either. So this was a change of pace for me towards the end. It was sorta weird, but good in a way. I have to test my limits somehow, right?**

**Well that's all then. Hope you liked it! Maybe leave me a review and let me know what you thought? They always make my day! :)**


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